Member Info

Welcome

to IBEW Local 1837International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1837 is proud to represent approximately 1,600 working men and women all over Maine and New Hampshire. Most of our members work at electric utilities or broadcasting stations throughout the two states. We work at companies such as Central Maine Power, Eversource in New Hampshire, and WGME-TV 13, just to name a few!
IBEW Union Local 1837 maintains two offices to better serve our members—one in Manchester, Maine and the other in Dover, New Hampshire. The office in Maine includes a separate building with a conference room and meeting area for union programs and training sessions.

IBEW 1837 News

Bill Brady is a Senior Production
Tech A for Brookfield in Maine.
Photo: Dave Estes

September 26, 2018 - It’s all too common for some people to question the need for unions in 2018. “Unions had their place in days gone by but they’re no longer necessary,” they say. But don’t say that to Bill Brady at Brookfield’s Renewable Energy. Bill is one member of IBEW Local 1837 who clearly understands the value of union membership and having union representation in today’s workplace.

When Brookfield announced their intentions in 2014 to pare back staffing at their Maine hydro facilities, IBEW Local 1837 proceeding to enter into a determined round of negotiations with the Company to make sure our members received respect and the best treatment possible under the circumstances. While some members eagerly accepted a package of buyouts and early retirement incentives, some of our members were not ready or able to take that step. The Company agreed to the Union’s proposal to give lengthy call-back rights to laid off workers for jobs that might open several years down the line.

For 54-year-old Senior Production Tech A, Bill Brady, it was a wait of 4 ½ years of working in non-union jobs and some challenging health problems, but his call-back finally came just before summer this year. Coming back to IBEW 1837 and his job at Brookfield was “like a cold drink after a long, hot day,” Bill said.

“The dynamics of a non-union shop were an eye opener,” Brady said. “Things like no bargaining for wage increase, no equal overtime possibility, management selected who was going to work or not. No protection of trade ownership, for example, I hold a welding certificate, but another coworker without certification was used. And by the way I was responsible for the cost of maintaining the licenses I hold. All these things seem to be too easy to be taken for granted when you have them, but when you don’t . . . Well you get the point.”

September 22, 2018 - IBEW 1837 members working for NextEra Energy at Maine’s Wyman Station ratified a 3-year contract extension earlier this week.

The idea of an extension to the collective bargaining agreement was initially proposed by Union Stewards at the oil-fired power plant. IBEW 1837 Business Manager Dick Rogers brought the idea to the Company, who initially offered a 1.5% wage increase each year for three years with no other changes to the contract.

After some discussions between Rogers and the Company, the offer was improved to a wage increase of 2% in each of the first two years and 1.5% in the third year. A $750 ratification bonus was also in the Company’s extension offer. Again, there were no other changes to the contract.

NextEra members voted on Monday, September 17, to ratify the extension. The Union represents 32 workers at the Yarmouth, Maine power plant.

The extension comes at a challenging time for oil-fired generation and as the company announced plans to take two of Wyman Station’s four units offline.

Under the new agreement, WGME's
News Photographers like David Hill
will receive hazardous duty pay during
some snowstorms.

September 20, 2018 - IBEW 1837 members working for Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s Portland, Maine, television station ratified a new 3-year agreement this week after rejecting a previous offer from the company by a 37 – 5 margin and authorizing a strike. The overwhelming strike vote was the first at WGME-TV in 30 years and helped to persuade the Company to improve their wage offer beyond what they’ve been offering their other employees.

Wages for those at or above top scale will increase 6 ¾% over the 3-year agreement while other employees in the wage progression will receive larger step increases. News Editors will have their pay scale improved to the same level as Operating Technicians, a longtime priority of the Union given the increasing workload and responsibilities of News Editors and their previous low pay.

“We’re very proud that our members at WGME-TV were willing to stand up and stand together to get a better contract,” IBEW 1837 Business Manager Dick Rogers said. “They sent a strong message to the Company that they were unhappy.”

Other improvements include hazardous duty pay for News Photographers who drive during snowstorms when a state of emergency has been declared and the addition of drone photography for news and commercials to the jurisdiction of the bargaining unit. A Company proposal for mandatory, unpaid “on call” status for some employees on weekends was ultimately dropped in exchange for the Union’s promise to “strenuously” encourage our members to respond to emergent weekend calls for overtime and an obligation to work collaboratively with the Company to come up with an on-call system if it becomes necessary.

September 17, 2018 - Our Dear Friend, IBEW 1837 member and employee of Central Maine Power Kirsten Wooster’s daughter Hilary has been fighting a courageous battle with Ovarian Cancer. We continue to hope for a miracle that everything turns around and she becomes healthy and happy again.

Hilary is hoping to come home to be with her family and children Gage age 3 and Hannah 1. We hope to gather funds for the family to assist during this difficult time in their lives. We want them to know their IBEW and CMP family is thinking of them in hopes to give some type of comfort.

September 4, 2018 - Meetings for members of IBEW Local #1837 resume this week after the usual summer break (except for Unit 6, Portland, which resumes in October). IBEW 1837 members are welcome at any unit meeting to discuss issues affecting their jobs and their union. There are also discussions about current events that affect working people and their unions.

Some meeting dates, times and locations have recently changed. Units may not meet during storms or on holidays. Some units do not meet every month. Check with your steward, call the union office, or check this website's calendar before driving.

NHEC workers went on strike on
Monday, May 7 and returned to
work on Tuesday, May 22.

August 28, 2018 - IBEW Local 1837 members employed by the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) are entitled to unemployment benefits for the time that they were on strike this May. That decision from the New Hampshire Employment Security Appeal Tribunal was handed down on Friday afternoon, August 24.

During the strike, IBEW encouraged our members to apply for unemployment benefits but NHEC argued after the strike that because of the work stoppage, our members were not eligible for those payments and an initial decision by a certifying officer agreed. The Union disagreed with the Company and engaged our attorneys to fight for those payments for our members, and won!

NHEC had management personnel perform the work of our members during the strike and also hired out-of-state replacement workers (often derisively known as “scabs”). The Employment Security Tribunal Chairman determined that there was no “substantial curtailment of work” during the strike and that “a stoppage of work requires more than holes in coverage.” In addition, the Chairman noted that NHEC did not suffer a loss of revenue or customers during the strike and continued to provide electricity and make repairs for their customers.

The decision of the Tribunal to allow those benefits for our members and to charge the NHEC account may be appealed by the Company.

IBEW 1837 Assistant Bus. Manager
Tom Ryan (left front) retired from
the Local after the contract was ratified.

May 31, 2018 - IBEW 1837 members working for Unitil in New Hampshire have ratified new 5-year contract agreements that provide wage increases and other improvements in benefits.

A total of 38 members of IBEW Local 1837 work at two New Hampshire locations of Unitil Energy Systems, Inc. (UES): “Capital” in Concord and “Seacoast” in Kensington. They work as Lineworkers, Meter Mechanics, and some as Support Personnel. A second, smaller bargaining unit of five Electric System Operators work at Unitil Service Corporation's Centralized Electric Dispatch (CED) in Portsmouth.

Both contracts include pay increases in each of the five years, revaluation of some job classifications and increases in meal and clothing allowances.

“I think this is a good agreement," IBEW Assistant Business Manager Tom Ryan said. "Other than a small increase in our medical co-pays, we were able to reevaluate many of our classifications prior to the annual adjustment, increase standby pay and receive 3% annual wage adjustments.”

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